Warm up

Golden week in Japan is like the Easter Bank Holiday in the UK. It's a time when a couple of days-off coincide so that by taking minimal paid leave, one can get a decent, week long holiday.

In May 04, Golden week gave Eoin and me a chance to test our ability to ride on multiple consecutive days. Our ultimate plan of what we were warming up for was not decided, but we both wanted to do a long trip when our stint in Japan came to an end that August, and felt that something in the way of training would be useful.

Besides, we had earned a holiday, and since anything other than camping becomes unaffordable during Golden Week, we aimed our sights on Shikoku - the smallest of the 4 main islands in Japan – and set off.

It was nearly that easy, but I’d be lying if I said we did absolutely no preparation. Firstly we went to the local 100 yen store – equivalent, but half the price of the Pound shop in England – to buy some essentials. These included, but were nor restricted to, Velcro straps, sunglasses and sun cream. Secondly we booked the ferry both ways since they often become fully booked during the holiday period. Thirdly, we checked out the route from Eoin’s apartment in Usa to the ferry terminal in Beppu.